


The Strength of a Broken Bond

by CanaryWarrior



Category: POKEMON Detective Pikachu (2019)
Genre: Gen, Harry is very angsty in this, Harry messes up and thinks he lost his son again
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-04
Updated: 2019-09-04
Packaged: 2020-10-06 22:15:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,364
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20514365
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CanaryWarrior/pseuds/CanaryWarrior
Summary: Harry messes up and thinks he lost his second chance with Tim.





	The Strength of a Broken Bond

**Author's Note:**

> Hey, everyone, I had this angsty idea while writing a chapter for Returning Memories. Harry is always worried about losing Tim, but what if he thinks he did? What if he did mess up? What if he said something that he shouldn’t have? I couldn’t think of anything bad that Harry could say to Tim, so I just left it vague. You guys could use your imaginations to think about what Harry could have said though! For me, the more important part is the angst and Harry trying to get his son back.

God, why did Harry say that? How could he say something like that to his son? Tim was here, in Ryme, with him. He gave Harry a second chance even though he had all the reasons in the world not to. Tim was even starting to open up to him! And what did Harry do? He pushed his son away. Again. Harry promised himself that he wouldn’t do anything to hurt Tim and wreck his relationship with his son the moment he saw him when he unmerged with Pikachu. Tim had decided to stay, and Harry caused him pain.

Where was Tim now? He had stormed to his room and locked the door. Harry presumed that Tim was packing up his belongings to leave, because why would he want to stay here? Harry ran a hand through his hair. How could he have messed up so badly? Last time he messed up, Tim didn’t speak to him for ten years. He only came to Ryme because he thought Harry was dead. Now, he messed up a second time. Tim was probably never going to speak to him again. Harry felt like someone ripped his heart from his chest. He couldn’t lose his son, not again.

Harry walked to Tim’s door and knocked. “Hey, Tim, can we talk?” Harry made sure to ask cautiously.

“I’d rather not,” Tim’s voice called out through the locked door.

Damn, Harry thought. Of course, Tim wouldn’t want to talk to him. He couldn’t force Tim to talk to him, either, as he didn’t want to push him. He worked so hard to convince Tim not to hate him anymore and all that progress went down the drain so quickly. Last time, he barely contacted his son. Now, Harry will try to talk to him. If Tim doesn’t want to talk, Harry will respect that, but he will keep trying until Tim decides to hear him out.

Tim’s door open, and the younger Goodman came out with a backpack filled with a few pairs of clothes and other necessities. He began to make his way to the front door.

“Wait, Tim, please!” Harry begged his son to stop.

Tim stopped and turned towards his father, waiting to hear what he has to say.

“I’m so sorry, Tim. I didn’t mean what I said, I swear!” Harry exclaimed, meaning every word of it. He knows he doesn’t deserve his son’s forgiveness, but he will work every day to earn it. He just has to get Tim to stay. Harry couldn’t bear it if Tim left. He wouldn’t know what to do if he lost his son again.

“Okay,” Tim responded, a mix of emotions in his eyes. He didn’t want to have another argument with his dad. 

“I know I messed up so badly in the past. And I know I will never make up for it and I know you don’t forgive me for it, I understand, I wasn’t there for you for ten years. Yet you still came to Ryme City and you still saved me and I don’t deserve it, I know I don’t. And you stayed for a few days to help me get back on my feet after the whole R thing. Then you were ready to leave, and we were at the train station and it took everything I had not to beg you to stay, because I didn’t deserve your forgiveness. Watching you walk to the train broke my heart, kid. Then you asked if you could stay and I felt so happy for the first time in years. You gave me a second chance and I swore to myself that I wouldn’t waste it. And now I did. I’m so sorry, Tim.” Harry didn’t know where all that came from. Probably from the years of shoving his feelings away and pouring himself into his work. Yeah, that was probably it.

Tim was shocked at his father’s words. Did he really think that? Did he really think, for all this time, that he didn’t deserve to be saved? That he didn’t deserve to be forgiven for anything? Tim was understandably upset, but he knew that Harry was genuinely sorry. “Dad…” Having trouble with emotions was likely a family trait, as Tim didn’t know what to say. “You did deserve to be saved.”

Harry expected Tim to agree with everything he said. “You really think so?”

“Yeah, of course I do.”

Harry thought he would never ask anything of his son. He thought he didn’t have the right to. But he didn’t want Tim to leave. He wanted his son to stay here more than anything. Now, he was desperate. “Please…don’t leave. I promise I can do better if you give me another chance,” Harry begged. He knew he didn’t deserve a third chance, but he also didn’t want to lose Tim again. 

Tim looked at his father. He knew that Harry meant every word. Honestly, he didn’t want to leave, but he thought his father didn’t want him around. A friend of Tim’s asked him if he could help him with something, so Tim was ready to go to Leaventown. When he and Harry argued, he was thinking of looking into some apartments there as well. “I thought you didn’t want me around anymore…” Tim said quietly,

Harry’s heart broke. How could he have made Tim feel that way? “Kid, I always want you around. I’m so sorry I made you feel otherwise. Stay, please,” Harry pleaded.

“You really want me to stay?”

Harry nodded. “Yes, I do. I swear, I’ll do better. I know it’s too late for me to be a good father, but still, let me try, please.”

Tim knew what he wanted to do. “Okay.”

Harry became hopeful. “’Okay’? You’re staying?” Was Tim really going to stay with him? Give him another chance? Harry knew he didn’t deserve it.

“Yeah, I’ll stay. But,” Tim watched as Harry’s expression turned nervous. “I still have to go to Leaventown.”

Harry’s heart sank. Tim agreed to stay for the long haul, but he was still leaving now. Harry couldn’t blame him. “Oh,” he said brokenly.

Tim knew what was going on in Harry’s angsty head. “It’s not like that! A friend of mine asked me to come, he needs my help with something,” he explained. Once he finished, he watched his father’s mood brighten.

“Oh, alright, kid. And you’ll come back?” Harry asked cautiously, not wanting to get his hopes up.

“Yeah, I’ll come back, I promise,” Tim said softly.

Harry finally smiled. “Okay, Tim. I promise you won’t regret this. I’ll be better, I promise!”

“I believe you,” Tim said with his own little smile. “I should get going.”

Harry nodded, his expression becoming sadder. “Okay, kid, have a safe trip.”

“Thanks.” Tim turned and walked to the door. He stopped, turned back around, and walked towards Harry. Tim hugged him. Harry hugged him back so hard, Tim swore his bones would pop. 

“I’ll miss you,” Harry said. 

“It’s only a few days, I’ll be back before you know it,” Tim responded, reinforcing his intention to come back to his dad.

“Okay, I’ll see you in a few days.” Harry gave Tim a small smile and watched as his son walked out of the apartment. 

Harry let out a deep breath after Tim closed the door behind him. He couldn’t believe he almost lost his son because he said something that really hurt him. Harry couldn’t believe he was pushing Tim away again. He’ll do better this time, he has to, because Harry doesn’t believe his son will give him yet another chance. He can’t waste this. This is his last chance to save the relationship he had with Tim. Harry understands that Tim may not forgive him. Hell, he understands that Tim may never forgive him. All Harry wanted was a chance to fix the broken relationship between him and Tim. He got that chance and he ended up hurting his son. Harry vowed to not do that again. He couldn’t lose Tim, not again. Tim gave him a third chance, and Harry was not going to mess up again.


End file.
